News

Apple pays student who hacked Mac webcams

A whopping US$ 100,500

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Technology is always problematic. Though advertising might claim a completely secure and private ecosystem, devices will always have vulnerabilities which hackers can eventually exploit. Apple, hoping to prevent such problems, holds one of the most robust bug bounty programs to detect possible exploits. In an example of the program working, Apple has recently paid a student US$ 100,500 for hacking its Mac webcams.

Ryan Pickren, a cybersecurity student, discovered the crucial flaw. According to his report (via AppleInsider), the exploit initially accesses the victim’s webcam without their permission but eventually accesses their entire browsing history. It grants hackers illegal access to pretty much anything in the device.

Fortunately, the exploit needs victims to click on a pop-up prompt to work. Users can prevent a lot of incidents by taking care against suspicious pop-ups. That is, if Apple hasn’t patched it out yet, of course.

Because of their bug bounty program, Apple can easily handle cybersecurity issues before they get out of hand. For this specific exploit, the company reportedly paid Pickren US$ 100,500 — a new record for bounty recipients. The bounty was reportedly US$ 500 more than their previous record.

Apple does have context for paying Pickren that much. This isn’t Pickren’s first bounty. Back in 2020, Pickren found a previous exploit, also involving Safari and Mac webcams. In fact, this new exploit builds onto his previously reported one. The student earned US$ 75,000 for the past report.

SEE ALSO: New hack exploits sketchy Microsoft Office documents

Gaming

2026’s The Game Awards will stream live on Disney+

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Annually, The Game Awards have become a sort of second Christmas for gamers. Besides a celebration of the past year in the world of videogames, the event hosts trailers for games of the upcoming year and beyond. Though it’s already free on several platforms, viewers can now tune in to Disney+ to watch this year’s Game Awards.

Hosted as always by Geoff Keighley, 2026’s The Game Awards will happen on December 10 at 7:30pm ET. Most of the event will award the best titles of various categories for the year. Several publishers and developers also use the event to announce their upcoming titles. It’s for these reasons that a lot of gamers catch the event every year.

This year, The Game Awards is streaming live on Disney+. This is in addition to its usual platforms including Twitch and YouTube. The Disney+ stream will be available in the United States and select territories internationally.

For now, gamers can also vote on their picks for various categories via the event’s website.

On the other hand, Disney+ has been pushing live events more adamantly. In the Philippines, for example, the platform is the home for live NBA coverage. Though it’s not as strong as Netflix’s gaming push with its assortment of free games, Disney+’s addition of the annual awards show is a worthy go for gamers.

SEE ALSO: Here are all the big trailers from The Game Awards 2025

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Enterprise

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang resigns after scandals

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NVIDIA’s week is finally and mercifully coming to an end. After being implicated in two extramarital affairs, now-former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position.

It’s been a terrible week for Huang’s personal life. Last weekend, a bombshell report revealed that Huang engaged in an affair with Alice Huang, who is reportedly involved with Chinese intelligence. Quickly realizing the heaviness of the allegations, the CEO admitted quickly to the affair.

However, barely 24 hours ago, another report revealed that Huang had a second extramarital affair. Though he was clear of any more espionage allegations, his romantic affair of choice was another executive within the company. NVIDIA’s board of directors quickly debated whether Huang should be fired for his actions.

Now, Huang has voluntarily resigned from his position. The former CEO leaves behind his spot at the head of the table since cofounding NVIDIA in 1993.

In his stead, the board of directors have named incumbent CFO Colette Kress as the company’s interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Despite her interim role, Kress will continue her duties as CFO.

Additionally, the board has named Harvey C. Jones, a member of board since its founding, as its first chair of the board.

Though the company will leave most of the controversy behind with Huang’s departure, its next chapter is about to begin. Will its new direction maintain the company’s tenuous balance between AI and gaming, or tip the scales towards one segment?

SEE ALSO: NVIDIA CEO admits to having an affair with alleged Chinese spy

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News

St. Peter reunited people with their deceased loved ones through tech

The new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign generates letters from the imagined perspectives of loved ones.

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Grieving can take many forms. Sometimes, it manifests through a desire to hear a loved one again. We look at their old clothing, a gust of wind, or a butterfly, and imagine them talking to us one more time. This year, St. Peter, through the power of technology, gave 11,000 people that chance through its new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign.

During St. Peter Deathcare Week, which ran from October 27 through November 2, the deathcare provider started the “If Heaven Could Write” campaign, an interactive digital experience that offered participants a chance to reunite with their deceased loved ones. It was available in 37 St. Peter Chapels and 76 cemeteries nationwide.

Upon scanning a QR code which took them to a portal, participants answered questions about their loved ones. Then, the portal generates a personal letter from the imagined perspective of the participant’s loved one, giving them one more chance to converse.

Of course, an imagined letter can’t replace someone who passed away. Still, the experience affords us a way to grieve and process the loss. No, the letter isn’t really from your loved one, but you can imagine what they would have said while reading through it. And sometimes, that’s all we need.

Though St. Peter Deathcare Week has already come and gone for the year, those interested can still participate in the campaign through its link.

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